Silent Hill: Rebirth
by madswantstobattle
Summary: Silent Hill. It was a name Ash Pendleton knew the moment she laid eyes on the welcoming sign outside of town. A town that seemed completely deserted, cloaked in unforgiving fog. But the roads are destroyed and the town is crawling with strange monsters that twist and jerk in the most disturbing of ways. There's a Gathering in the works that's her only way out. But at a price.
1. A Name Once Familiar

**Hey! Yeah, I know. "Luna! You're neglecting your other fics! Y u no update dem frst!?" Trust me, I plan on it. I've just been thinking about this for a looooong time.**

 **You'll notice my OC has a familiar last name and it will all be explained very clearly later on in the story. And yes, you are correct, she is related to a certain prisoner. But who sweats the details these days? *whispers* Later...**

 **Anyway! This will be an original story with all original characters (with some mention of canon characters along the way.)**

 **DISCLAIMER: ALL does not own Silent Hill. All of her characters are her own.**

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 **Chapter One  
** **A Name Once Familiar...**

A dull, throbbing ache was the only reason Ash Pendleton woke the way she did. It pulsed at the base of her skull in time with her heartbeat. She squeezed her eyes tight. It was the beginning of Spring Break, couldn't she sleep in just for a little while longer? She reached behind her for her blanket - her fingers brushed against wood. Funny... Her headboard wasn't made of wood... Now that she had moved a little more, what she was lying on was definitely _not_ her bed. It felt more like a park bench. But if she remembered correctly, the last thing she did was come back to her dorm room after visiting the prison to rest up for her trip home for the break. Had she sleepwalked to a nearby park?

"What...?" Ash's eyes flew open and she sat up quickly. Ow... Too quickly. She shut her eyes again in a feeble attempt to stop the world from spinning. After a brief moment she suddenly became painfully aware of the deafening silence around her. Was that normal? Slowly, she raised her head and blinked her eyes open. She was, in fact, sitting on a bench at a desolate bus stop. There were no buildings near her, at least none that she could see through the unruly grey fog that swirled thickly around her. The nearest bus stop was a block away from her dorm and this place didn't look like it belonged on the James Madison campus. In fact, nothing looked familiar. A chill traveled down her spine. Where was she, then? She glanced up at the bus schedule map. It told her she was on Nathan Avenue. She wasn't aware of any street in Harrisonburg with that name; then again, she never strayed farther than the movie theater in such a big college town. Her sense of direction was terrible.

Ash slowly rose to her feet, every movement amplified by the ungodly silence. She turned a full circle to take in her surroundings. There was nothing, no one, around; even the sound of vehicles was absent. The lack of noise was very unsettling. Ash opened her mouth. "H-hello...?" Her voice didn't carry very far, seeming to become lost in the fog and swallowed in the swirling clouds. Where was everyone?

 _Okay, Ash... Calm down. Just start walking and I'm sure you'll find civilization soon,_ she thought. Even the voice in her head seemed louder than normal. She struggled to lift one foot and place it in front of the other. Soon she began her slow trek in a random direction down the deserted street, away from the bus stop. _Nathan Avenue, huh? I'll have to remember that if I can find someone to direct me back to campus... If._ Ash walked for what seemed like hours. The fog was relentless and was so thick she could have sliced through it with a knife... And there seemed to be shapes moving about it - twisted, stumbling shapes that were just out of reach and strayed just clear of her vision. She suddenly had the terrible feeling she wasn't alone out here.

A sign broke free of the fog. She could read it clearly the closer she got. _Welcome to Silent Hill_ , it read. Silent Hill? Ash didn't remember there being a town by that name around here. She made a note to ask her mother when she got home... She pushed forward without a second glance at the sign.

Finally, after miles of walking, panicking, jogging, sprinting, panting (repeat) Ash saw the dark outlines of town buildings emerging from the fog. Her heart gave a leap and she pushed her legs forward. The first store that came into view was a small flower shop on the corner. Ash approached the door. A sign read " **Yes! We're open!** " in inviting red font in the window. She looked around. Still no one in sight. What in the world was going on? The girl paused a moment outside the door, feeling a wave of uneasiness churn her stomach. Would anyone even be inside? And if there was, what would they be like? Flashes of an episode of her favorite television show raced through her mind: the episode started with a couple stopping to fix car trouble in a seemingly quiet little town only to be directed to an apple orchard as a sacrifice...

Ash startled herself back from her thoughts and shook her head furiously. _What are you even thinking? It's just a TV show... Nothing like that actually exists. Just go inside and ask for help._ Gathering what courage she had left, Ash stepped forward and pushed open the door. A bell rang somewhere in the store. She was suddenly hit with a faint mix of floral scents. Curiously enough, there were no flowers on the shelves or long tables, just a few overturned pots and mounds of potting soil. The shop was empty - at least at first glance.

"H-hello...?" her voice seemed to fill the whole store. It sounded alien to her ears. "Hello? Is anyone here?" No answer. _Of course._ Sighing, she turned to the door to head back outside.

 _CRASH!_

Ash whirled around on her heels. The noise sounded as if it had come from the back room. So someone was here? Why were they breaking pots? Relieved, the girl sidled passed broken pieces of clay pots and loose soil towards the back counter. The cash register was left open and all the money that should have been inside was missing. She had the briefest of thoughts as to who might have taken it, but she pushed it aside upon approaching a second door with a sign that said **"EMPLOYEES ONLY"** in big block letters. Ignoring it, she pushed it open and stepped inside.

The back room was split into two areas divided by a small hallway. One was what she guessed to be the employee break room. A single refrigerator stood open containing a few unknown wrapped food items that seemed to be giving off a faint rotted meat odor. Ash politely closed it before she gagged. Nothing in this room seemed to be broken, save for the plastic chairs and the rusted faucet on the sink. That left the next room to her left. It seemed to be a storage area. The shelves were filled with sacks of soil, unboxed gardening tools, clay and ceramic pots, and packages of seeds. It was dark and the lights refused to flicker on when Ash flipped the switch. Was that shuffling? And the floral smell from before was growing stronger, making her head spin. She braced herself against the door frame for support. The shuffling stopped.

"Excuse me? I didn't think anyone was here, but then I heard someone back here," she said. Her stomach did funny flips. Something felt very wrong. Faint labored breathing came from the darkness. The sickly smell almost became overpowering. "I-I just wanted to know how I can get back t-to James Madison University in Harrisonburg from here... I- uh... Hello...?"

A dark shape had made itself known to her. It lumbered behind the shelves of soil, hunched over as if it were in pain. It wobbled to one side, disappearing behind a stack of pots. Ash, concerned that whoever this was might be hurt, rushed around the shelves towards them. She found them huddled in the far corner, crouched down with their head between their knees and their arms tucked into their chest. It was still to dark too see them and her conscious practically screamed at her to run. They were huddled just below the pale light coming in from the hallway. Their breathing slowly turned to ragged as she reached out a hand to them.

"H-hey! Are you okay?" Ash's hand gripped their shoulder and immediately drew it back. Their skin... It had pricked her! Like she had grabbed the stem of a rose. Frightened, she backed away. The figured staggered to their feet and she could see them - it - properly now. It stood about a head taller than she was with grey skin that stuck out at sharp points around the shoulders and chest like a large rose stem was trying to break through the skin from the inside. Its head was twisted at an odd angle, lolling from side to side as it jerked in its movements, and its mouth was gaped open by thin vines snaking down its throat. She watched as the muscles inside struggled to breathe around the invading plant and fought the urge to be violently sick. Her eyes trailed down to the torso where she saw where the intruding vines had begun. Thick greenish tendrils had burst through the flesh of the stomach, wrapping themselves around the creature's entire torso. Dried blood was caked down the legs and hips. A large poisonous-looking flower bloomed from the center of the gaping wound. It twitched and oozed a toxic colored slime. The creature staggered forward. What the hell was this thing?!

Ash stood, frozen in horror as she watched whatever this... thing was creep closer to her. Its movements were jerky and slow, and it bent in such odd ways that made her throat fill up with bile. The slime dripping from the flower was the source of the floral smell. Ash gagged. This thing was coming closer. She needed to get out of here! Ash's legs seemed to move of their own accord. She bolted around the shelves, listening to the ragged breathing of the creature she left behind until she burst through the front door of the shop and collapsed on its doorstep.

Ash heaved in breaths, attempting to slow her heart beat. What was that? What was it doing there? It's like something straight out of a horror movie! She stole a glance behind her through the window of the flower shop. She couldn't see anything through the gloom, but she didn't want to stick around to see if that thing could open doors. She picked herself off the ground and walked away from the shop as fast as she could. She needed to find people, and fast.

The next shop she came to was a book store. The sign in the window indicated that it was closed. Ash tried the door anyway. Locked. She peeked into the store, squinting through the dark. No movement, no one in sight. She turned away and went to the next door. She pulled. Locked. She shoved. Locked. The next door was also locked. Locked, locked, locked, locked. Soon, she found herself sprinting up and down the street, trying every door only to discover them locked up and deserted. Her head spun rapidly. This was crazy. A town this size couldn't possibly be deserted like this. Where was everyone? Ash slipped off the curb and stumbled into a heap in the street. Her head felt so heavy. She was so tired... All she wanted to do was sleep. She closed her eyes. Someone would find her... They would see her lying there and take her inside. This was just a bad dream.

 _Silent Hill... Somehow that sounds so familiar..._

A siren wailed somewhere in the distance.

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 **And that concludes chapter one! This is actually my first Silent Hill fic and I hope it can be enjoyed by many. If you haven't noticed, I've also added some OC monsters as well. But don't worry. There will be more familiar monsters as we go along.**

 **Please, please, PLEASE leave reviews! They inspire me to write more! Thank you!**


	2. The Name's Micah

**Yay! Chapter two! I hope you enjoy! This is just a sort of filler and an introduction to a new character. The real action will start in the next chapter!**

 **DISCLAIMER: ALL does not own Silent Hill, blah blah blah.**

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 **Chapter Two  
The Name's Micah**

Ash wouldn't have known she had opened her eyes if she hadn't blinked. It was pitch dark but she could still feel the blacktop under her cheek. She sat up slowly and waved a hand in front of her face. Was she blind? Had that monster done something to her vision? She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few more times. Nothing. She couldn't see a thing and there was a dull ringing in her ears. Ash staggered to her feet. Why was it so dark? What happened? She had to find a way into one of the buildings. The ones up and down this block were locked, she knew that. If she could just make it to the next block over, maybe she could find an open door. The panic was rising again. She couldn't wander out here blindly for very long. She didn't want to think about what else could be out here with her.

Ash reached out her arms and felt around her. She stumbled over the curb and caught herself on a street sign. The metallic wobble resounded through the darkness. She cringed. If anything was out here, they knew where she was now. She had to get moving. Slowly she slid her feet across the sidewalk, her arms outstretched as she felt along the walls of the outside buildings. Her eyes struggled to see through the darkness. There were sounds all around her, intensified by her lack of vision. Was that breathing she heard just now? No, that was just her own short breaths. Ash inhaled slowly and exhaled through her mouth. _Relax..._ she told herself. _Just keep walking. Maybe it just got dark out. No big deal._ The thought wasn't reassuring. Even in the countryside the dark wasn't as black as this.

Ash stopped moving. Something behind her. Footsteps? She listened closely, straining her ears to hear better. Yes, those were definitely footsteps. They were uneven, staggering, as if whoever they belonged to was injured. Ash knew better than to trust whatever it could be. _I have to get away! It could be that- that... thing!_ She moved as quietly as she could, feeling along the walls as she went. She knew at some point the buildings would give way to the street again and she didn't know what was in store for her if she followed the walls around the corner. Her best bet was to keep straight where she knew would be more shops.

The building opened up to the next block and Ash took her chance. She ran blindly across the street, her foot catching on the lip of the curb. She barely kept her balance but kept going, slamming herself into the next wall and frantically feeling along the brick for a door. She could hear the footsteps coming closer; they were quicker, more uneven. Her hands met cool glass and she shoved. The door opened easily with the clang of a welcoming bell. Ash flung herself inside and slammed the door behind her. Ash braced her back against it and listened. There were no sounds, no footsteps, nothing came pounding on the door. She was safe - for now.

 _What the hell is going on?_ Ash slid to the floor. How had she gotten here? What had she done to deserve to be put in a place like this? How was she ever going to get home? Where were all of the _people_? More importantly, why were there _monsters_? She couldn't wrap her head around any of it. It was all works of horror - of _fiction_! If that were the case, then why was it happening to her? All she wanted to do was go home. She wanted to see her mother. She wanted to get out.

"Okay... Keep it together, Ash," she whispered to herself, wrapping her arms around her torso. "Cool your jets. I'm sure this is all just a bad dream... You'll wake up soon and see that this was all just a silly nightmare. In the meantime, go with it and find the light switch."

To her displeasure, Ash found it extremely difficult to navigate the dark room. Chairs and tables obstructed her path and she blindly fell to the floor several times. Cursing silently, she located the wall and began feeling around. _Aha!_ Her fingers grazed a switch and she flipped it. The lights overhead buzzed and flickered on. The dim light revealed she was in a small diner. Red plastic covered booths sparkled dully at her and the stools at the counter were left turned haphazardly as if its patrons had left in a hurry. The kitchen, just visible through the QA window, was dark. It seemed as if she were alone. Her shoulders relaxed a bit and she sank into a chair with a long, shaky sigh.

If she had landed herself in this mess, then there had to be a way out. There was always a way out. She just had to figure out what that way was. Ash ran her fingers through her dark hair. _If there are more of those things out there, then I'm going to have to find something to defend myself with..._ Her eyes drifted back to the darkened kitchen. There were bound to be knives and things somewhere back there. Thankfully, the light switch was easier to find. Ash switched it on and immediately began her search for sharp objects. Clean pots and pans were hung neatly in their racks while the dirtied ones sat abandoned on the grill. A block of knives was tucked away in the corner on a counter. She pulled out a long, stainless steel butcher knife. It'll have to do, she thought.

 _CRASH!_

Ash started. _What the hell...?_ It sounded like something heavy ran into the front door of the diner. Switching the light back off, Ash slowly made her way back around the counter and scanned the front of the diner. There was no broken glass. Whatever it was hadn't broken through. Heart hammering, she raised the knife to chest-level. Had she just imagined it?

 _BANG BANG BANG!_

Something was... knocking? Ash stiffened. Was it one of those things again? It knocked again and then-

"Hey! I know you're in there! Let me in, will ya?"

A person? Someone was actually here with her? Ash felt rooted to the spot. The person banged on the door once again.

"Come on! They're out here! I can hear them and I'm sure they can hear me too! Open up! Please!"

Ash rushed to the door and swung it open. A body hurled themselves through the doorway, onto the floor. She slammed the door shut again and locked the deadbolt. A boy lay collapsed at her feet, gasping for breath like he had just finished running a marathon. Ash hesitantly reached out to him, but thought differently and drew it back. Instead, she slipped the knife into her boot and spoke.

"A-are you okay...?" she asked. She wasn't even sure this boy was real. He held up a finger in response, telling her now was not the best time for him to speak. After a while, he finally caught his breath and rose steadily to his feet.

He was tall, at least twenty years old, and leanly muscular with unkempt ash blond hair. His clothes, a red plaid button up over a black T-shirt and ripped white-washed jeans tucked lazily into black combat boots, were slightly soiled with dust and grime showing he had been here a while longer than Ash had. He brushed off his jeans and swept a lock of hair out of his green eyes, adjusting a backpack around his shoulder.

"Man, I thought you were just going to leave me out there," he said, offering her a playful smile. "It's been dark as hell ever since that weird siren went off, and those monsters have been around more."

The boy walked - no, he limped - over to one of the stools at the counter and sat down, grimacing. Ash's stomach did a flip. He was injured? He noticed her staring.

"I tripped down some stairs and banged my leg up pretty badly," he explained. "I saw you outside before you came crashing in here but you ran away before I could say anything," he fished in his pocket for something and pulled out a small flashlight. "The light doesn't really reach very far when it's that dark, for some reason. It's like everything is swallowed by it. Same goes for the damn fog."

"Wait a minute, that was you?" Ash found the strength in her voice. So it had been him that was following her earlier. She wasn't sure whether to be extremely relieved or angry at him for scaring her. She was about to say so when she realized something. "W-who are you, anyway?"

"The name's Micah," he said, grinning at her. "Micah Bennett. What's your name, Little Cat?"

She blinked at him. "'Little Cat'?" she repeated. What did that even mean?

"Well, I would call you Scaredy Cat, but that would be just plain rude of me. And you're much shorter than me, so Little Cat it is."

Her cheeks flared and she narrowed her eyes at him. "My _name_ is Ash. Ash Pendleton."

Micah rested his chin on his hand, the grin slowly changing into a smirk. She couldn't believe this guy! They had just met and he had already gotten on her nerves. "Okay. Ash. It's nice to meet you," he said. "So... How did you end up here in this hell hole?"

Ash stalled. She was still trying to figure that out herself and so far, she had come up with nothing. She shook her head. "I- I don't know. I woke up at a bus stop on the outskirts of town. What about you?"

"I found some records of my family's history that dated all the way back here forever ago. I had never heard of this place, so naturally, I came here out of curiosity," Micah shrugged. "Now it seems like I made a mistake. This place is a nightmare. I mean, what _are_ those things out there? They look like nuclear experiments gone wrong."

"I think they were people once," Ash said. "At least, the one I encountered looked like it had been... But it was covered in these vines that were bursting through its stomach like a parasite..." she shuddered at the memory.

"Wait, you mean to tell me you only saw _one_ of those bastards? And what's more, just one type?" Micah was astounded. "Wow, you're an elusive little thing, aren't you?"

"T-there's more than one kind?" Ash felt sick. _One was enough, but more?_ She wanted tog o home more than ever now.

"Don't worry, Little Cat. We were obviously meant to meet up. I'll protect you," he winked playfully at her. She blushed again. What was with this guy? He glanced around. "Hey, we're in a diner, right? Are you hungry?"

"W-what?"

Micah simply ignored her and headed straight for the kitchen. She followed closely behind him, wondering how on Earth he was going to make food in a place like this. Micah surveyed the kitchen closely, his eyes scanning over nearly every surface until he found what he was looking for. He opened a cabinet and produced a box of pasta, setting it on the counter. He untied a bag of garlic from its rack and chose a pot. Ash raised an eyebrow at him. Micah smirked and reached into his bag. He came out with a few bottles of water.

"Pasta? But what if the appliances don't work?" she asked.

"You got the lights to work didn't you?" he countered. She was pleasantly surprised to see the stove still lit. He placed the pot on the burner and poured the water into it to boil. Soon the water was bubbling and the pasta was dumped into it. Micah started working on the garlic. It was the smell that made Ash realize she was famished. Her stomach growled at her so loudly she thought Micah would be able to hear it. He was too busy contemplating the pot. "It's still missing something..." he muttered.

Micah wondered over to the fridge and pulled the doors open. He stood there for a while looking over the contents before coming out with a bag of frozen cubed grilled chicken. He smiled at her. "Still good."

Ash waited patiently. She watched Micah work from a perch she had made out of counter out of his way. Her hunger exceeded any type of fear she had felt earlier and she was grateful that Micah was resourceful. She would not have even thought about looking for food until she passed out. It wasn't until he waved a bowl in front of her face that she realized he was finished.

"You still with me, Little Cat?" he asked, pressing the hot bowl in her hands. At this point, Ash didn't care about the stupid nickname. The food smelled incredible. She took it gratefully.

The two ate in silence. Ash wolfed hers down, not caring about table manners. She was so hungry and it was too good to resist. Micah didn't seem to mind. He watched her with pleasant appreciation. When she finished, Ash wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and set her bowl on the counter next to her. She smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said. "Where'd you learn to cook like that?"

"I worked as a cook at a few restaurants during high school," he shrugged. "I even started going to culinary school a few months back."

"Well, it was very good," then she frowned. "Now what?"

"Well..." Micah hesitated. "We can't stay here forever. I suppose we should keep moving."

Even though she disagreed, she knew he was right. They couldn't stay here if they wanted to find a way out. She stared dejectedly at her knees before she sighed and looked up. Ash nodded. "Okay... Let's go."

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 **Micah's my bad little pretty boy :3 but he's a sweetheart, I promise you.**

 **Please, please, PLEASE leave reviews! They inspire me to write more! Thank you!**


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